Gaara the Kazekage
by Candy1004104
Summary: A peek inside Gaara's thoughts when talking to Kankuro about being the Kazekage AKA "Gaara's Speech" . Originally one-shot, but there is a sequel in here as a second chapter.
1. Gaara the Kazekage

**A/N: Oneshot. Basically what I think was going on in Gaara's mind while he was talking to Kankuro about being the Kazekage. It's rather short, but the moment had only taken 2-3 minutes, so bear with me please.  
****Defintely one of my favourite moments in all of Naruto Shippuden (Gaara is also my favourite character). I love the background music in the scene. ^.^  
****In this fanfic, just assume that he and Naruto had a talk about how their childhood was and everything, so let's pretend that Gaara knows about Naruto's bond with Iruka.  
****Also, the dialogue will be italicized... Dialogue is taken from Naruto Shippuden Episode 5 (english dub).  
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Naruto.  
****Dedicated to ****CuteLikeMomiji****, who continues to motivate me and encourage me and who supports me as we go through this site together as amateur authors.**

**Gaara, The Kazekage**

_"Gaara. Let it go... I don't want to say this, but... you know how they see you. You're a weapon of terror..." _I tensed, but let Kankuro continue. _"Seriously, leaving us and joining the regular troops is not going to be an easy thing. They're full of jounin who think pretty poorly of you. And most of the villagers... they're as terrified of you as they've always been." _Kankuro was trying to convince me not to do it.

But Kankuro didn't know. He didn't know the truth about Naruto. He didn't know that we'd experienced the same thing. He didn't know the philosphy I'd adopted from Naruto, about the dream we now shared. He didn't know how different I was compared to how I was before.

_"I know that." _I knew everything that Kankuro just told me. But now, I responded differently to that. Instead of hating and resenting people for discriminating against me, I would try to change their opinion.

_"I've always known... but doing nothing at all will almost certainly bring even greater pain. I know what I must do. I must clear my own path. And perhaps then, that day will come." _I looked up at the sunset I was facing. I'd thought about it over and over again. And I knew: I wanted to be like Naruto. _"The day will come... when I can be like him. I want to be part of this village, so I'm aiming for the title of Kazekage, as a shinobi of the Sand." _

_"Gaara..."_ Kankuro seemed to be at a loss of words.

_"I will work hard, and connect to the people of this village. Watching Naruto Uzumaki has brought me clarity. Until I met him, my ties to others brought only pain, and sorrow. But he was always pushing me to redefine those ties."_ Naruto had been there for me, and he didn't give up trying to help me. He had wanted me to see the way he did. If Iruka had betrayed him instead of my uncle betraying me... I believe that I would do the same thing that he had done for me.

_"I think I finally understand... The suffering and sadness of life, a joy... these are feelings that can be shared with those around me. "_ I wanted the same bonds as Naruto had. To have someone who would matter to me as much as Iruka, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi mattered to him.

_"It was Uzumaki. He's the whole reason my eyes have opened. When we fought we connected. He's known the same pain I have, and he taught me that I can change the path my life will follow." _Naruto had encouraged me to go farther, to try harder than others, to try to be someone who mattered, who belonged. He wanted to be the leader of his village, so people could start treating him like somebody, somebody important. Why couldn't I, who had suffered like he did, have the same dream?

**"One day, Kankuro... I'd like to become something precious to others too. ****Not to be viewed as some hideous weapon. But as the Sand's next Kazekage."**


	2. Gaara the Kazekage: Sequel

**A/N: Ok, so I had the poll up and half of you guys wanted a sequel, so here it is!  
****Thank you for the reviews (and possible favourites?)! Hopefully this is just as good as the first chapter (maybe better)! I'd like to dedicate this again to CuteLikeMomiji, because she's awesome and she supports me.  
****Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Nobody on this site does.**

**Gaara the Kazekage  
****The Sequel!**

I stared at the blond stranger, sitting on top of a white bird, apparently made out of his clay. Who was he? Why was he here?

Those questions were easily answered. Judging by the his cloak, he was Akatsuki, and it was me he wanted. Or, more accurately, He wanted Shukaku. I was just the Jinchurriki.

I fought and I chased him around the village, between the buildings and high in the air. I formed a ball out of my ultimate-defense sand and stayed safe inside it. I used the rest of my sand to chase the Akatsuki member and capture him. I almost had him....

And he miraculously escaped. I managed to crush one of his arms later, but he made another bomb with his remaining arm and held it close to him as I attacked and he dodged.

As hard as I was trying, the Akatsuki member looked amused. Like he was only playing with me. Impossible. There was no way that he could be toying with me, not even showing the full extent of his powers, while I was trying so hard to save the village that had finally accepted me. Respected me. Possibly even looked up to me.

_**I can help you. Unleash me Gaara, and I can defeat this... person for you.**_

_Go away! If Naruto doesn't need his Kyuubi, then I don't need you, Shukaku!_

_**Oh, but don't you want to protect your village from this stranger?**_

I grew silent. I actually thought about letting Shukaku take care of this. It would be so easy. I wouldn't have to die. Shukaku could fight the stranger and I can be alive.

But then I looked down at my village and saw Kankuro looking confidently at me, and I thought of the conversation I had with him that day.

"I'd like to be something precious to others too. Not to be viewed as some hideous weapon."

**"Not to be viewed as some hideous weapon."**

If I did let Shukaku take over, wouldn't the village be disappointed in me? I could see the village council elders, who were already skeptical about my being Kazekage. They would all be talking about how they chose the wrong person to be Kazekage. And Kankuro...

_There's no point in protecting the people in this village from the Akatsuki if I can't even save them from myself._

It almost seemed as if everyone could hear that thought, because at that moment all ninja in the village prepared to support me and fire at the Akatsuki member.

The stranger also noticed them moving around and shouting, and he threw the bomb that he was holding so reverently. It floated in mid-air, and with a puff of smoke, it became a larger version of itself and it looked much more lethal than it had before.

My eyes widened as I watched it fall towards the village at an alarming speed. I was frozen with shock and I watched the Akatsuki member make the hand sign that made his bombs explode.

I thought, _No!!!_, and I urged the sand to engulf it...

And the sand made it just before it exploded. The village was safe, for now atleast. I panted with the exertion, and I continued to watch the stranger.

He made the hand sign again and, even though I couldn't hear him, I saw him mouth the words "Within range."

My eyes widened again as I saw a clay bird fly towards me from my left...

* * *

I was in a white space, with no floor, no ceiling, no walls. Just a huge expanse of nothing. A huge expanse of nothing, where nothing existed. I was here in this place, and yet this place didn't exist, nor did I. Nothing existed in nothing.

And right infront of me, was a hand. A hand in the middle of nothing. Amazing.

"Huh? Whose hand... is this?"

I looked down to where the hand led: from a wrist, to an arm, that was connected to... my torso?

"What? It's my hand?"

I unclenched my hand and continued to stare at it.

"I wonder... Did my existence ever become necessary for anyone?"

I drew my hand back. A blurry, dark-red figure appeared.

"What's that?"

I looked more closely at the image infront of me.

"That's me. The me... whose existence some one needed... Why? Why did I want to be like that? Why did I desire it so badly?"

I flashed back to when I had not yet found Naruto, when I had tried to kill his teammates. I was in terrible pain back then... I was in terrible pain before that, when I had killed Uncle Yashamaru. His words echoed in my mind.

**Love is the spirit of devoting yourself to some one important and close to you... It is expressed by caring for and protecting that person... Just like my sister, your mom.**

Then I remembered talking with Kankuro again, about being Kazekage. About having bonds. About mattering to some one. How much I was willing to do just to become precious to some one. Even risking my life multiple times...

* * *

An eternity later, I heard some one calling "Gaara!". Impossible. Nothing exists in nothing. An eternity doesn't exist. Gaara doesn't exist. That voice doesn't exist. Nothing doesn't exist.

"Who... Who's he... calling to? Whose hand is this?" I stared at the hand.

"What? It's just my hand again..."

I closed my hand slowly. "My hand..."

I withdrew my hand again, like last time. And I saw another blurry, dark-red figure. But this one was smaller. And... he was crouching on the ground, his head down, as if crying.

"I...Who am I? I... I'm..." _Alone_, I thought, but I couldn't bring myself to say it.

Suddenly, some one grasped my shoulder. I turned around. It was Naruto.

And then...

"Gaara." Naruto smiled. **I existed.**

I looked around. My fellow ninja were all there.** I was in a place where things existed. And...**

"They're..." I started.

"They all came running to see you!" Naruto said enthusiatically.

**I was necessary to some one's existence.**


End file.
